D.C. United midfielder/forward Chris Pontius (13) tries to gain control of the ball against Houston Dynamo defender Kofi Sarkodie (8) in the second half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. Dynamo defeated United, 2-1. (Chuck Myers/MCT) less

D.C. United midfielder/forward Chris Pontius (13) tries to gain control of the ball against Houston Dynamo defender Kofi Sarkodie (8) in the second half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, ... more

Photo: Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Image 5 of 16

Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin (12), left, and D.C. United midfielder Jared Jeffrey (25) play a head ball in the first half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin (12), left, and D.C. United midfielder Jared Jeffrey (25) play a head ball in the first half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

D.C. United midfielder/forward Chris Pontius (13) plays a head ball against Houston Dynamo midfielder Boniek Garcia (27) in the second half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. Dynamo ... more

Houston Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark (13) upends D.C. United midfielder Nick DeLeon (18) along the sideline, as Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear, left, looks on, in the second half at RFK Stadium in ... more

Photo: Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Image 8 of 16

D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario (7) breaks ahead of Houston Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell (32) with the ball in the second half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. Dynamo defeated United, 2-1.(Chuck Myers/MCT) less

D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario (7) breaks ahead of Houston Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell (32) with the ball in the second half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. Dynamo ... more

Photo: Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Image 9 of 16

D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid (28) gets beat for a goal on a penalty kick by Houston Dynamo midfielder Boniek Garcia in the first half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. (Chuck Myers/MCT) less

D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid (28) gets beat for a goal on a penalty kick by Houston Dynamo midfielder Boniek Garcia in the first half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. (Chuck ... more

Houston Dynamo defender Eric Brunner (2) clears the ball away from D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario (7) in the second half at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Sunday, October 27, 2013. Dynamo defeated ... more

Photo: Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Image 16 of 16

Dynamo down D.C. United to clinch playoff spot

1 / 16

Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON — As the final whistle blew Sunday at RFK Stadium, Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear turned to his bench and let out an understated fist pump — a gesture seemingly not of triumph but relief.The Dynamo didn't make it easy on themselves. But the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions are going to the MLS playoffs once more.

"We're just happy to get in," Kinnear said. "If you get to the playoffs, it's anybody's game. We seem to perform well in the playoffs, but it's going to be difficult, as we know. I don't think we're going to surprise anybody."

On the strength of midfielder Boniek Garcia's penalty kick and midfielder Giles Barnes' header, the Dynamo earned a 2-1 victory over D.C. United to qualify for the postseason for the seventh time in the organization's eight seasons.

The fourth-seeded Dynamo (14-11-9) will open the playoffs at7:30 p.m. Thursday against fifth seed Montreal (14-13-7) at BBVA Compass Stadium in the Eastern Conference play-in game.

The extra match is meant as something of a penalty for the bottom teams in the playoff field, but the Dynamo weren't deterred by the longer road when they began last year's run to the MLS Cup final with a play-in win over the Fire in Chicago.

"We were able to get right back out on the field again and continue that momentum and that push," captain Brad Davis said. "So I think in that situation, the game did help us. This year, we just won this last game, the guys are feeling good, it's the postseason, it's a new life, so we're looking forward to it."

Beating the slump

Although the Dynamo's yearlong odyssey included a seven-game winless stretch from May into June, when national team duty took away Davis (U.S.) and Garcia (Honduras), the club capped the season with a 4-1-2 run that erased fears of watching the playoffs from home.

"Our team, like others, has had problems with (World Cup) qualifiers, injuries," Kinnear said. "Now the last little bit we've been a little more consistent with our lineup, and the results kind of show that we have a good team."

Yet the Dynamo hardly entered Sunday's proceedings on a roll. After losing 3-0 at home to New York last weekend, they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Panama's Arabe Unido on Thursday to eliminate them from the CONCACAF Champions League.

They controlled their playoff destiny, though, thanks to Montreal's loss at Toronto FC on Saturday. Facing a United team that at 3-24-7 finished 2013 with the fewest wins in MLS history, the Dynamo seized control early.

After D.C. United center back James Riley hauled down Barnes in the box, Garcia confidently tucked his 11th-minute penalty kick into the lower right corner.

United drew level in the 27th minute. Making on overlapping run on the left flank, Chris Pontius collected a feed from Luis Silva and hit a looping cross Kyle Porter nodded home.

Back in the lead

But the Dynamo retook the lead six minutes before halftime, when Barnes made a near-post run and headed a Davis corner past Bill Hamid.

The Dynamo then killed the game after the break, with United's predictable pressure and hopeful crosses doing little to threaten.

Confident bunch

"That's what it's all about: When your back is against the wall, you're able to pull yourself up," Davis said. "This team has done an unbelievable job of showing that we can do that. We've shown a ton of resilience. We've shown we step up to adversity."

The Dynamo will turn their focus to Montreal, which sat atop the conference into July but dropped to fifth place after finishing the season 1-6-1. The Impact are led by veteran Italian striker Marco Di Vaio, an MVP candidate who bagged 20 goals this season.

Should the Dynamo win, they will advance to a two-leg conference semifinal against the top-seeded New York Red Bulls (17-9-8).

"We always say at the beginning of the year that we want to be in the playoffs, and that's what we've done," defender Bobby Boswell said. "From this point on, it's all about results, and we always seem to be a team that gets results in the playoffs. I hope that trend continues."